Brazil Senate debates President Rousseff’s impeachment

Brazil

Brazil’s senators are debating whether to put President Dilma Rousseff on trial over allegations that she illegally manipulated the budget to hide a growing fiscal deficit.

Wednesday’s debate will be followed by a vote that could suspend Rousseff, the first woman to become Brazilian president, for the duration of the investigation, which will be 180 days.
A two-thirds majority in the upper house is what is required to remove her from office permanently.

The reporter reporting from Brasilia, said Rousseff was expected to lose by an overwhelming majority.

“It is a dramatic time for Brazil,” she said. “Even the pope has weighed in, calling for prayers and dialogue.”

If Rousseff’s opponents garner a simple majority in the 81-seat Senate session that is expected to go into the night, Rousseff will be replaced on Thursday by Vice President Michel Temer as acting president for up to six months.

In a sign that Rousseff was preparing for a defeat, Workers’ Party Senator Humberto Costa said the president was expected to dismiss all her ministers late on Wednesday to give Temer a clean slate to name his own cabinet.